MOTORCYCLE JUMPING MEMORIAL

In Loving Memory

We Dedicate This Memorial to 

Motorcycle Jumpers Who Have Died

This page is dedicated to those brave individuals who dared to face the ramps and at some point, for some reason, lost their lives. Although they have passed on to that great ramp in the sky, we can be thankful that they were here to inspire us, to teach us and to entertain us. We pray that they rest in peace forever.

Buggins, Dale - this accomplished Australian jumper took his own life on September 18th 1981 in  Melbourne, Australia by shooting himself in the chest with a .22 rifle that he went and bought the day before. Dale was just back from touring the U.S. and was in Melbourne for the Royal Melbourne show.

Carter, Jeremy - a skilled and famous FMX rider, he drowned in the Willow Cove area of Bass Lake in California on Tuesday, July 4th, 2006. He was found the next day. He is survived by his wife Mistilee and son Jadyn. Jeremy, born April 18, 1977, put Coarsegold, California on the map. He competed in many freestyle events and exhibitions, judged contests and performed in various videos.

Hillaby, Michael - this beginner jumper died when he tried to do a neighborhood jump ramp to ground over 9 cars end to end, Nafferton, England. This British jumper appeared to clip one vehicle and endo on the way up to apogee.

Holland, Terry - an Indiana native, he was jumping a 50 footer at the Lewis County Fair in Iowa on a Rev Prochnow Thrill Show production on July 24, 1992. He came up short and his chest impacted the leading edge of the landing ramp.

Hutchinson, Charles "Hurricane Hutch" - a successful jumper with 5 movies made about him in the 1920s, he was the first jumper ever to jump a train, jumping at 90 degrees to the train. He was born in 1879 and died in 1949.

Laswell, Sherman Dwayne "Butch" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - this very talented and experienced jumper died after jumping ramp to ramp over a 38 foot high pedestrian overpass in Mesquite, Nevada, March 10, 1996. The 35 mph diagonal tailwind, blowing from right to left from the rear at about 45 degrees, blew him off course and he flatlanded on black top pavement from 55 feet high. His trachea was crushed, among many other internal injuries. Paramedics took him back toward Las Vegas in the ambulance, meeting a Flight For Life helicopter next to the highway for a transfer. He died in the helicopter during the transfer.

Majors, Earl - this 26 year old jumper from England died after attempting an 18 car jump ramp to ramp, coming up short and clipping the leading edge of the protective apronless landing ramp at the Hannningfield Horse Show in Essex, England.

Palizbanian, Javad - this 44 year old jumper from Iran died on Saturday, August 27, 2005 after attempting a ramp to ramp jump over 22 buses. He came up short and landed on the 13th bus. Right before the jump, he proclaimed, "I am going to break the world record and do something for my country to be proud of."

Pierce, Adam Samuel "The Highlighter" - Adam Pierce was a passenger in a 1976 Chevy pickup truck driven by Michael M. Ingram, 27, on June 21, 2002 in Bakersfield, California when the driver passed someone at 10:25 p.m. on Midoil Road. When he cut back into the right lane, he overshot it and went onto the shoulder. The truck went sideways, then swapped the other way and the truck rolled, ejecting both of them. The truck was on top of Adam Pierce at the end of the crash. He died on June 22, 2002. 

Pierce, Butter Cup - Butter Cup was shot and killed in a night club, after he bragged that he knew who killed a high profile person in Ontario, Canada.

Pleso, Bob - died after he came up short attempting a ramp to ground jump over 30 cars, August 4, 1974. His rear tire caught a car, Pleso endoed violently and rag-dolled to a stop.

Porter, Jono (Jonothan), (Australia) - died at 4:00 p.m. on June 9, 2004 at Nambour Hospital in Queensland, Australia. This well-liked 23 year old pro freestyler, supercrosser and motocrosser with the #911 number plate from Gladstone, QLD crashed on June 6th in the first turn in the first moto of the Pro Lites class at the 2004 Maxxis Australian Supercross Championships in Coolum, QLD and was run over by the pack of riders behind him, suffering massive injuries to his head, spine and chest. He remained unconscious until his passing three days later. He was a jumping innovator and champion in FMX. He pulled off the first flip in Australian competition to win the 2002 Planet X Games. He won the 2002 Australian X Games. He was the first in the world to flip a four stroke. He won the Melbourne Supercross Masters in 2002. He was a factory Suzuki Australia rider and formed his own motocross team and company, JPI Industries. In 1994 he won the Australian 80cc Australian MX Championship.

Preur, Alain, (France) - died June 1, 1991 at 41 years of age when attempting a difficult skydiving transfer stunt from one plane to another. Alain held the claimed world distance record of 212 feet for a long time after he set it in 1977. Born in 1949, this French jumper was a very accomplished stunt man and skydiver.

Scott, Corey - died attempting step-up jump 70' high to net, bounced out and landed on flat ground, Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida, February 8, 1997.

Seeley, Todd - this very talented and professional distance jumper from Florida died on Saturday, July 25, 1998 when he was jumping a quad ramp to ramp at Buck Motorsports in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As he rode up the narrow launch ramp, the quad's left side wheels dropped off the side. He tried to avoid the protective apron, but his shoulder caught it, flipping him, and he slapped the ground hard. He was listed as the world record holder for the longest ramp to ramp jump at one time.

Smrz, Brett - he and his brother Brian jumped the L.A. River in the '80s. Brett died in 1986 doing a high fall. He was a motion picture stunt man and not specifically a motorcycle jumper, but the L.A. River jump puts him on this list.

Soucek, Karel - this Hamilton, Ontario Canadian rider died January 19, 1985 after a high fall stunt at a PACE event at the Houston Astrodome in front of 45,000 spectators. A barrel with Soucek inside was lifted by a crane to the roof of the Astrodome. When released the barrel was supposed to fall  into a large tank filled with water. It was swinging very subtly back and forth before it was released from the ceiling of the Astrodome. When the barrel was released it went long and struck the edge of the tank, destroying the barrel and killing him. Soucek is also known for going over Niagara Falls in a barrel before that.

Wilson, Tony "T-Bone" - this rider from Western Australia was new to FMX, and the first rider to die during a freestyle exhibition in the 10 year history of the sport. After building a jumping compound and a foam pit with a boom hoist with his best friend Zee, he honed his skills until he was ready to perform in freestyle exhibitions. His first show was in April of 2007 at Tumbulgum Farm with his freestyle hero, Schuie. Then he did another show in Exmouth, Australia on May 5, 2007 at the annual Ningaloo Whale Shark Festival as a member of the Homegrown Maniacs stunt group. He came up short on a ramp to ramp jump and his chest impacted the leading edge of the landing ramp. The tremendous impact ended his ride with chest injuries. He managed to wave good-bye to the crowd and smile. Tony was having a hard time breathing. He was taken to the hospital, where he passed away.

Winkelmann, Colin - this super-talented bicycle distance jumper from Greenville, North Carolina was born on February 26, 1976 in Columbus, Ohio. He owned the following distance world records when he died: Ramp to ramp, ramp gap: 85 feet over 13 sport/utility vehicles on a DK bicycle at Paramount Ranch, CA in March 2001; Ramp to ramp, total jump distance of 116 feet, 11 inches, same jump; and Ramp to ramp, clear gap, 79 feet, same jump. His jump over 13 SUVs was also the world record jumping a bicycle over cars. He was a competitor in the X Games, Gravity Games and many other competitions. He was a professional rider, product designer and developer for DK bicycles and a bicycle mechanic. The 29 year old innovator was seriously injured in a crash in late 2004 during a best trick contest at Travis Pastrana's compound where he attempted a jump over a conversion van moving head-on and shattered both ankles, dislocated his left ankle, double dislocated his right ankle, shattered his tibia in the left leg and mangled some cartilage, broke his navicular bone and dislocated two other bones in his left wrist, and fractured his L3 vertebrae. He was just getting back to riding again after months of being bed-ridden and wheelchair bound. Distraught after the breakup between him and his girlfriend which resulted in her leaving, he committed suicide on  August 11, 2005 when he started his chopper in the garage and inhaled the fumes. Three days later his friends Alan Cooke and Gary Nichols were curious about his absence, so Gary Nichols went to his house and saw that all the doors and windows were locked, then got into the garage and found Winkelmann's lifeless body there. This heartbreaking event rocked the BMX world to the core. He was a giant of bicycle distance jumping who will be sorely missed.

Winter-Smith, Robin - this rider from England died after he came up short, 30 Rolls Royce jump, Elstree, England, July 8, 1979. 

If you know of a jumper who has passed away, or a date of death, a location or circumstances, please notify us with an e-mail to johnny@johnnyairtime.com.

Music by J.K. Northrup, entitled "Remember Me"